ACC ~ Hebrews 2 v5 - 9

OVERVIEW:

It was apparent to the early writers that all things were not currently under the full subjection of Christ, especially given the evident suffering of the faithful, but that all things will be put under him. What is more consoling is that he under whom all things will be put in subjection has also died and submitted to innumerable sufferings. As we suffer, the early commentators remind us of the cross. Since the Scriptures call his cross “glory and honor,” this glorifies our sufferings (CHRYSOSTOM). Christ’s ultimate humiliation on the cross led to his ultimate triumph (PHOTIUS). Christ made those whose nature had previously become thorny through sin into a crown for himself, transforming the thorn through suffering into honor and glory (GREGORY OF NYSSA). It is as a human that he is mediator, for by deigning to share our humanity God shows us the shortest way to share in the divinity. Freeing us from mortality and misery, God leads us not to blessedness through the immortal and blessed nature of angels but to the Trinity, in communion with which even the angels are blessed (AUGUSTINE). “Until I make your enemies your footstool” signifies that the process is not immediate but takes place over time. When Jesus was placed on the cross as a fruit on a tree (CHRYSOSTOM), he tasted death for all (ORIGEN). But he destroyed death because he was superior to it (EPHREM). It is important to observe that the writers from the school of Antioch in Syria, such as Theodore of Mopsuestia, were more concerned to emphasize the humanity of Christ and to distinguish between the divine and human natures. Theodore argues, “The man Jesus was like all humans and differed in no way from those whose nature he shares, save that to him grace was given.” It shows how our souls are united with Christ’s in the incarnation and raised up with him though dead (SYMEON THE NEW THEOLOGIAN).

2:5-7 | Through Christ’s Sufferings

ONLY THREE DAYS IN HADES. CHRYSOSTOM: There is another consolation if indeed he, who is hereafter to have all put in subjection under him, has himself died and submitted to sufferings innumerable. “But,” Paul says, “we see him who was made a little lower than the angels, even Jesus, for the suffering of death”—then turns immediately to the good things again—“crowned with glory and honor.” Do you see how all things apply to him? For the expression “a little” would rather suit him, who was only three days in Hades, but not ourselves who are in corruption for a long time. Likewise also, the expression “with glory and honor” will suit him much more completely than us. Again Paul reminds them of the cross, thereby effecting two things, both showing Christ’s care for them and persuading them to bear all things nobly, looking to the master. For, he would say, if he who is worshiped by angels endured for your sake to have a little less than the angels, much more ought you, who are inferior to the angels, to bear all things for his sake. Then Paul shows that the cross is “glory and honor,” as Christ himself always calls it, saying, “that the Son of man may be glorified” and “the Son of man is glorified.” If then he calls his sufferings for his servants’ sake “glory,” much more should you endure sufferings for the Lord. ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 4.3.

THE ULTIMATE HUMILIATION AND THE ULTIMATE HONOR. PHOTIUS: Why does he bring up the quote, “what are human beings that you are mindful of them?” He purports to prove, from the contrary, the following statement, that Christ is far superior to the angels. “A little while lower than the angels,” he brings … up in order to disprove the opposite proposition. He means that he was made lower through the suffering of death, “we saw him, but he had no form nor beauty.” Therefore, it was appropriate to say that about the Lord, because he was exalted; again, it was appropriate to exhort them [angels] to “put everything in subjection under his feet.” FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 2.6-9.

PLACED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MASTER’S CROWN. GREGORY OF NYSSA: When, according to the prophetic word, people were alienated from the life-giving womb through sin and went astray from the womb in which they were fashioned, they spoke falsehood instead of truth. Because of this, the Mediator, assuming the first fruit of our common nature, made it holy through his soul and body, unmixed and unreceptive of all evil, preserving it in himself. He did this in order that, having taken it up to the Father of incorruptibility through his own incorruptibility, the entire group might be drawn along with it because of their related nature, in order that the Father might admit the disinherited to “adoption” as children and the enemies of God to a share in the Godhead. And just as the first fruit of the dough was assimilated through purity and innocence to the true Father and God, so we also as dough in similar ways will cleave to the Father of incorruptibility by imitating, as far as we can, the innocence and stability of the Mediator. Thus, we shall be a crown of precious stones for the only begotten God, having become an honor and a glory through our life. For Paul says, “Having made himself a little lower than the angels because of his having suffered death, he made those whose nature had previously become thorny through sin into a crown for himself, transforming the thorn through suffering into honor and glory.” And yet, once he has “taken away the sins of the world” and taken upon his head a crown of thorns in order to weave a crown of “honor and glory,” there is no small danger that someone may be discovered to be a burr and a thorn because of his evil life, and then be placed in the middle of the Master’s crown because of sharing in his body. The just voice speaks directly to this one: “How did you get in here without a wedding garment? How were you, a thorn, woven in with those fitted into my crown through honor and glory?” ON PERFECTION.

HE WILLED TO TAKE THE NATURE OF A SLAVE. AUGUSTINE: The fact that he is the Word is not the reason why he is a mediator, for certainly the Word at the summit of immortality and the apex of beatitude is far removed from miserable mortals. Rather, he is a mediator because he is human and, as a human, shows us that to attain that supreme good, blessed and beatific, we need not seek other mediators to serve like rungs on a ladder of ascent. For the blessed God who makes us blessed by deigning to share our humanity showed us the shortest way to sharing in his divinity. Freeing us from mortality and misery, he leads us, not to the immortal blessed angels so as to become immortal and blessed by sharing in their nature, but to that Trinity in communion with which even the angels are blessed. When, then, in order to be mediator, he willed to take “the form of a servant” below the angels, he remained in the form of God above the angels, being simultaneously the way of life on earth and life itself in heaven. CITY OF GOD 9.15.

2:8 | Everything in Subjection

THAT THEY MUST BE MADE SUBJECT IS EVIDENT. CHRYSOSTOM: He said, “Until I make your enemies your footstool.” But it was likely that his hearers would still be grieved … so he added this testimony in confirmation of the subjection. That they might not say, “How is it that he has put his enemies under his feet, when we have suffered so much?” He did … hint at this in the former place, for the word until showed not what should take place immediately, but over the course of time. Nevertheless, here he follows it up. For do not suppose, he says, that because they have not yet been made subject, they are not to be made subject; for that they must be made subject is evident. It is on this account that the prophecy was spoken. “For,” he says, “in that he has put all things under him, he left nothing not put under him.” How then is it that all things have not been put under him? Because they are hereafter to be put under him. ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 4.2.

2:9 | We See Jesus

THE MAN JESUS. THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA: Jesus is a man. For “what is man that you are mindful of him?” Yet the apostle asserts that this passage refers to Jesus, for he says, “We see him who was made a little lower than the angels, Jesus.” What then do we conclude? The man Jesus was like all humans and differed in no way from those whose nature he shares, save that to him a grace was given. The grace that was given does not change his nature. But after death was destroyed, “God gave him the name which is above every name.” The one who gave is God. The one to whom it was given is the man Jesus Christ, the first fruits of those who are raised. For he is the “firstborn from the dead.” Therefore, he ascended and sits at the right hand of the Father and is above all. FRAGMENTS ON THE TREATISE ON THE INCARNATION 2.

WHO IS THE MAN? SEVERIAN OF GABALA: He calls it the age to come. Then he adds at last, “we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. But we see Jesus made lower than the angels.” Then he applies to Jesus the question, “What is man that you are mindful of him?” For the things common to humanity belong to him. But as the Son himself says, “Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings I will establish praise for the sake of your enemies” and “I will see the heavens, the works of your fingers.” No one would say that the man God remembered had made “the praise established from the mouth of babes and infants for the sake of your enemies” and “I will see the heavens, the works of your fingers.” This one remembered humanity and lowered himself a little lower than the angels. But who is the “man”? Jesus. Because of the suffering of his death, “he was made a little lower than the angels.” FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 2.5-9.

THE TEXT READS “BY THE GRACE OF GOD.” OECUMENIUS: Note that the Nestorians stumble against the Scripture and so they read “so that without God he tasted death for all,” constructing the argument that Christ had an indwelling of the Word of God but not union with it, because he did not have his divinity when he was crucified. For they say that it is written “without God he tasted death.” But see how a certain orthodox man answered. First, the text reads “by the grace of God.” Moreover, even if we understand it to read “apart from [without] God,” it ought to be understood in the sense that Christ died for all the other beings except for God, for he died not only for humanity but also for the powers above, that “he might break down the dividing wall” and unite the lower beings with the higher ones. Similar to this is that statement which is said elsewhere, “But when it says, ‘All things are put in subjection under him,’ it is plain that the One is excepted who put all things under him.” FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 2.9.

THEY CHANGE “WITHOUT GOD” TO “BY THE GRACE OF GOD.” THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA: Some suffer something very laughable here, changing “without God” and making it to read “by the grace of God,” not following the Scripture’s train of thought. Owing to their failure to understand that he once said, “without God,” they erase it to no profit and put in what seems satisfactory to their opinion. Yet what notion would be suggested by Paul inserting “by the grace of God”? And what train of thought would lead him to this? For it is not his custom to append “by the grace of God” capriciously, but always there is some logical train of thought involved. For example, he talks about grace when he, talking about his experience, adds, “by the grace of God I am what I am.” Or when it is his task to speak concerning God’s love for humankind and that God has done all things, even though we are not worthy to obtain them, as is contained in his statement, “By grace you have been saved,” … he appends, “And this not of your own doing, it is the gift of God, not because of works, lest any one should boast.” Clearly he shows through this, that he is speaking concerning the grace of God, which he showed on behalf of all people. But in Hebrews Paul is discussing what is being set forth by him concerning Christ, what sort of person he is and how he differs from the angels (the starting point of his discussion), and in what respect he seems to be lower than them because of his death. What need was there then for him to say, “by the grace of God”? It is out of place for him to speak concerning his goodness concerning us.

Instead, the line of argument shows this to be the case when he says, “without God he tasted death,” since his divinity was not hindered in this respect, and therefore he showed a diminution “for a short time” from his usual state. He appears also here to share the honor because of his connection with the other nature. It is most natural that those who have heard these things would think that the indwelling of the Word of God would be spectacular at the time of his suffering, even though this does not correspond with the things that have been set forth. Yet “without” God he tasted the trial of death, he adds, “For it was fitting for him, on whose account all things exist and through whom all things exist, having led many sons into glory while he was the originator of their salvation to be made perfect through suffering.” It is not that his divinity was not a contributor, he says. For the usual things “were fitting.” … For, let me tell you, the fact of suffering in no way was appropriate for it. But clearly this “it was fitting” confirms the notion of “without God.” For although it was not fitting, Paul himself says that it is fitting, showing at the same time also what sort of things he once did, and what they were. “For it was fitting for him, because of whom and through whom all things exist.” Quite clearly he is speaking about the divine Word, inasmuch as he shared with many his sonship and led them into this glory. He is the “originator” of everybody’s “salvation,” our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the one who is said flatly to have been accepted as a perfect man through his sufferings, so that also Christ’s nature and God’s grace might be made manifest. FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 2.9-10.

APART FROM GOD, HE TASTED DEATH FOR ALL. ORIGEN: We understood the Christ to be the creator, but the Father is greater. He, indeed, who is such great things as “the advocate,” “the expiation,” “the propitiatory,” because he showed compassion “on our weaknesses” in experiencing temptation “in all things” human “in our likeness, without sin,” is a “great high priest” who offered himself as the sacrifice offered once for all, not for humans alone, but also for every spiritual being. For “apart from God he tasted death for all.” This appears in some copies of the epistle to the Hebrews as “by the grace of God.”

But whether “apart from God he tasted death for all,” he died not only for humans but also for the rest of the spiritual beings, or “by the grace of God he tasted death for all,” he died for all apart from God, for “by the grace of God he tasted death for all.” And, indeed, it would be strange to declare that he tasted death for human sins but not also for any other creature, besides man, that happened to be in sin—for instance, for the stars, since not even the stars are absolutely pure before God. As we have read in Job, “And the stars are not clean in his sight,” unless this was said hyperbolically.

For this reason he is a “great high priest,” since he restores all things to the kingdom of the Father, causing the things that are lacking in each of the creatures to be supplied, that they may be able to receive the Father’s glory. COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 1.255-58.

SONSHIP BY GRACE. THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA: In this account of the sonship, the apostle appears to include the man who was assumed with the “many,” not because, like them, he received the sonship by grace, since the Godhead alone possesses the sonship by nature. FRAGMENTS ON THE TREATISE ON THE INCARNATION 12.2.

ASSIMILATED TO THE SUFFERINGS OF THE LORD. SYMEON THE NEW THEOLOGIAN: But let us look, if you will, and examine closely the mystery of the resurrection of Christ our God, the very thing that mystically comes to be in us as we wish, and how in us Christ is buried in us as in a tomb, and how being united to our souls, he rises up and raises us with him. This is the goal of this discussion.

Christ our God was hanged upon a cross and nailed upon it the sin of the world, tasting death and descending to the lower parts of Hades. Then again, rising from Hades he returned to his own undefiled body, from which in his descent he was in no way separated. And immediately he arose from the dead and went up from there to heaven with great glory and power. So we now come from the world and enter through the sufferings of the Lord into a repentance and humiliation of burial like his, who himself came down from heaven and took on our body as a tomb, and united with our souls he raises them from the dead, which most surely they were. Then he permits those who were raised with Christ to see the glory of his mystical resurrection. DISCOURSE 13.2.

THE FRUIT OF THE CROSS. CHRYSOSTOM: Do you see the fruit of the cross, how great it is? Fear not the matter, for it seems to you indeed to be dismal, but it brings forth innumerable good things. From these considerations he shows the benefit of trial. Then he says, “that by the grace of God he might taste death for every one.” “That by the grace of God,” he says. And he indeed suffered these things because of the grace of God toward us. “He who did not spare his own Son,” he says, “but gave him up for us all.” Why? He did not owe us this but has done it of grace. And again, in the epistle to the Romans he says, “Much more have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.” This occurred “that by the grace of God he might taste death for every one,” not for the faithful only, but even for the whole world, for he indeed died for all. But what if all have not believed? He has fulfilled his own part. Moreover, he said rightly, “taste death for every one”; he did not say “die.” For as if he really was tasting it, when he had spent a little time in the grave, he immediately arose. ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 4.3.

CHRIST TASTING DEATH. CHRYSOSTOM: By saying then “because of the suffering of death,” he signified real death, and by saying, “superior to angels,” he declared the resurrection. For as a physician, though not needing to taste the food prepared for a sick person, tastes it first himself so that he may persuade the sick person to eat with confidence, so also, since all people were afraid of death, … he tasted it himself, though he did not need it himself. “For,” he says, “the ruler of this world comes and has no power over me.” So both the words “by grace” and “might taste death for every one” establish this. ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 4.3.

SUPERIOR TO DEATH BY HIS NATURE. EPHREM THE SYRIAN: God “tasted death for every one,” but, because his immortal nature could not die in the flesh in which he died, he who was dead, as it is, did not die. He did not die because of his nature; he nominally clothed himself with death for his love to us. Since he was superior to death by his nature, death could not approach him. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS.

ALL THINGS NEEDED THE REMEDY. THEODORET OF CYR: Since Paul called him both maker and Lord of the angels, and this seemed somehow beyond belief to those being taught that the nature of the angels is immortal and yet hearing of the passion of Christ the Lord, he was obliged to offer instruction on this as well. He was made less than the angels not in the divine nature but in his suffering humanity; this shared in divine glory after the resurrection. Of course, he endured the suffering for all: everything in possession of created nature needed this healing. He said as much, in fact, “so that apart from God he would taste death for everyone,” only the divine nature is without need (he is saying); all other things needed the remedy of the incarnation. By becoming man God the Word destroyed the power of death; in destroying it he promised us resurrection, to resurrection he linked incorruptibility and immortality, and visible things also will share in incorruptibility. INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 2.